BALL PYTHON WITH SWOLLEN THROAT

Question
I fed my ball a smaller than normal rat the other day and after the rat had been taken down, the underside behind the jaw was swollen. I waited a while (24 hours) and am know begining to worry. Any Suggestions? Do I have to take it to a vet?
Thank you for your time,
chad Sommers

Answer
Hi Chad,

it sounds like he may have a respiratory infection. if you can, open his mouth and see if any excess mucus, saliva is present and listen to his breathing. if any of these signs are present or his breathing is raspy then they are clear indications that your snake has a respiratory infection.

he will need to be taken to a vet to receive an injection. in the meanttime it can help to increase the temperature in the tank a bit as it helps your snake to fight the infection.

if none of these symptoms are present then it would be worth taking your snake to a vet to get checked out anyway,

i hope this helps,

Andy